Breaking Tradition
by 0WolfMoon0
Summary: In a family where Slytherin is good and Gryffindor is disowned, how will Scorpius survive. For a boy who wishes to defy tradition, it's going to take a lot more than Slytherin cunning to get what he wants. It'll take Gryffindor courage. T for possible violence.
1. Chapter 1: Not Slytherin

**disclaimer! World and many characters belong to JK Rowling. Sorting hat song from fifth year book by JKR. Don't sue me!**

Chapter 1

Platform nine and three quarters soon became a dot on the horizon, then that dot became all of London as the Hogwarts Express departed the station as it had so many times before, taking the coming year's batch of students to the great castle that was Hogwarts. Albus sighed and sat back in his seat, having lost track of where the platform was and with it his father. Albus Severus Potter and Rose Weasley were sharing a compartment with an odd boy they had found alone, each anticipating the sorting in their own way. Rose, taking after her mother, decided to read, whereas her cousin Albus tried to strike up conversation with their compartment-mate.

"Hi, I'm Albus! Who are you? You don't look familiar. Have you ever flown a broom? I wish I could try out for the Quidditch team like my dad in first year but apparently I'm too young. How about you? What position…" Albus rambled, until he was suddenly cut off by Rose.

Without looking up from her book, _Hogwarts: a History, _she stated simply, "Albus, shut up and let the boy answer." Then, addressing the boy, she said, "I apologize on his behalf. I'm Rose, and he's Albus. And you are?"

The boy looked up from the floor which he had until that point been examining with extreme importance. He mumbled a response, "My name is Scorpius." With his answer, Albus fell to the floor laughing hysterically. This earned him a swift kick in the rear end from his cousin, and the boy fell quiet again. Scorpius resumed examining the floor.

"I apologize on his behalf again. Why do I feel like I'll be doing that a lot? Anyway, it's nice to meet you, Scorpius." Then it was Rose's turn to be interrupted, as it was evident that Albus could not keep quiet to save his life.

"Hey, Scorpius, do you like to play Exploding Snap? I know I do! Come on, let's play. Just you and me though, I know Rose hates the game." Albus grinned like a madman, while Rose rolled her eyes and resumed reading her book.

Scorpius looked up from the floor at Albus, somewhat shocked by the sudden change in the boy's demeanor. "Uh, sure…"

Rose attempted to continue reading. 'The ceiling *SNAP* of the Great *SNAP SNAP* Hall is en- *SNAP* -chanted to look like *SNAP SNAP SNAP* the sky out- *SNAP* -side *SNAP*' Upon the last snap of the boys' game of Exploding Snap, Rose closed her book with a *SNAP* to rival their own. "Oh will you boys be quiet!" She yelled, losing her temper quickly.

Albus flinched at the outburst, but Scorpius merely dropped another *SNAP,* incurring upon himself the wrath of Rose Weasley. "Scorpius," Rose said in a false-calm voice that dripped venom. "I would much appreciate it if you stopped."

As Scorpius looked her in the eyes, as though challenging her, she felt ready to punch him. Albus stepped in between the two, sensing danger on the horizon. "Alright, Scorp. You don't mind if I call you Scorp, right? Anyways, just back down. Trust me." Scorpius looked away from Rose and at Albus.

"Fine, I'll back down. Albus, why do you hang out with such a priss anyway?" Scorpius asked, while sitting back down. He'd finally begun to feel comfortable around the two.

Albus turned to look at him, before saying with snide, "Because she's my cousin, you twat." Scorpius backed into the seat, seeing the two's eyes were flashing with rage. "And when we're in Gryffindor and you're stuck in Slytherin, you'll be sorry." He then sat next to Rose, who had decided it was a good time to pick up her book and begin reading again.

With this, Scorpius sat up a bit straighter, waves of sadness coming off of him. "The sad thing about that is you're probably right. My entire family has been in Slytherin, and almost all of them have turned out bad. The thing is that I don't want to be bad Albus. But somehow I feel that I'm destined for that path. I'll just leave, let you two plan for your lives in Gryffindor."

Scorpius stood up to leave, but was stopped as Albus stood up and in front of the compartment door. Rose had given up all hope of reading and had set her bookmark in her page, book aside, to watch and listen to the conversation between her cousin and this ever-odder boy. Albus spoke with finality, "Scorp, you are not going to be stuck in Slytherin if you don't want to be. My dad told me so. The Sorting Hat takes your requests into its decision. And take Sirius Black for example! He's from a long line of pureblood madmen, and he was in Gryffindor. You seem pretty brave to me, seeing as you held your ground under the Rose death glare."

At that perfect moment, an old woman with a large trolley of candy came past. She knocked on the door and said sweetly, "Anything off the trolley, dears?" The three children rushed over and began to pick their favorites. Not more than three minutes later, they were eating their fill. Rose was content with a single pumpkin pasty and two Chocolate Frogs, but the boys were sharing some Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans and each had many Chocolate Frogs. Scorpius smiled at the card he got from one of the Frogs.

"Godric Gryffindor. One of the four founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. If that's not a sign I don't know what is!" Scorpius was grinning ear to ear, taking this card to be a good omen. He was now very determined to get into Gryffindor house and spend the next seven years with his new friends. Rose and Albus also shared smiles with him.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

A few hours later, the train began nearing Hogwarts. Rose was completely dressed in her school robes and was reading again, but the boys were so immersed in their wizard chess game that they had yet to notice how near the school was. When Rose looked up and noticed, she was about to tell them to change when Albus's brother James knocked on the door. Albus looked up and groaned, but Scorpius continued to figure out what to do for his turn.

James walked in and gave Albus a disproving look. "Albus, why are you not wearing your robes? We are nearing the castle. The least you could do is follow your cousin's example, or take the cue from your big brother." He then proceeded to snicker as he looked down at the board. Albus promptly turned Weasley-red and gathered his robes from his trunk to begin changing. Then, he dropped them, noticing the move Scorpius had just made.

"Check mate. The win goes to Scorpius." Scorpius said smugly. "Now if you'll excuse me, I must change into my robes. I suggest you do the same." He pulled out his robes and both boys began to change while Rose continued to read. Albus grumbled something about Scorpius being a "Bloody git" and "had no right" and how "took advantage of my distractedness." Rose overheard the grumblings and snickered behind her book.

A minute or two later, James ran an evaluating eye over his younger brother. "Alright kid, you look presentable enough. Just don't let the troll ruffle your hair too much or you'll look like Dad." As Albus was about to ask about the troll James had spoken of, his brother ducked out the door with a grin. The now terrified boy looked to Rose, who sighed and put down her book again.

"No, the sorting ceremony has nothing to do with a troll. You know James is just pulling your leg again, right?" She said this directly to him, and then muttered under her breath, "If you took the time to actually _read _you would know this." Scorpius and Albus heard this and Scorpius snickered at Albus's offended face.

The train lurched to a stop just as the three had finished cleaning up their compartment. They scrambled to the window to get a glimpse of Hogsmead Station, and all the many students pouring out of the train. They made their way out of the compartment only to run into another apparent first year. Albus recognized the boy as Lorcan Scamander from the Potter's various parties, which was odd because he was normally with his brother Lysander. He helped the fallen boy up.

Lorcan was much more adventurous than his brother, and was more like his mother, Luna Lovegood, than his father. He and Lysander couldn't be more different if they tried, but they were always sticking together for some odd reason. "Hey Albus, fancy seeing you here. Um… you wouldn't have happened to see Lysander's cat, would you?" Albus, Rose and Lorcan laughed, knowing that the cat could get lost extremely quickly.

Rose put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Lorcan, you know Primplepuss. She'll turn up when she wants to. Just tell Lysander to remember what your mother is always telling you. 'Things we lose…"

"- have a way of coming back to us in the end. I know I know. Just tell that to Lysander." The three laughed while Scorpius stood there almost awkwardly. Lorcan then noticed and held out his hand. "I'm Lorcan Scamander, pleased to meet you! Erm, who are you exactly?"

Scorpius smiled and shook his hand. "Scorpius is the name. I hope to be in Gryffindor and beat family tradition." Lorcan stared at him odd, and then gave a nod of recognition. The Malfoys had regained some of their esteem by turning on the Dark Lord in the end and Lorcan had seen him at some of his father's parties.

The foursome exited the train slightly behind the flow of people, but still heard the booming voice of Hagrid yelling, "FIRS' YEARS! FIRS' YEARS FOLLOW ME!" They looked at one another for support, and then joined the throng of First years who were following him. Hagrid led them to a small fleet of boats and instructed them all to "git in." The four of them took two boats, one with Rose and Albus and the other with Scorpius and Lorcan.

Once the boats started on their way, with a wave of Hagrid's pink umbrella, Lorcan turned a questioning eye upon Scorpius. "Scorpius, you haven't told them your last name, have you?"

The other boy turned his head to examine the bottom of the boat. "No, I haven't. Why would a Potter and a Weasley hang around a Malfoy? I can tell by their looks whose kids they are, but they can't tell who I am. I just want to spend the next seven years with friends who won't judge me and if that means hiding it for long enough, I will."

Lorcan gave Scorpius a meaningful look and sighed. "In that case, best of luck getting into Gryffindor. From what I can tell, you deserve it." The boys quieted and looked in awe. There in the boat, the incoming First Years got their first glimpse of Hogwarts the way so many generations before them had. For the four friends, it was breathtaking and gave each of them the strength to face the Sorting Hat.

Within minutes, the enchanted fleet reached the castle. They were met in the Entrance Hall by a short little man with a handlebar moustache. "Hello all, welcome to Hogwarts. I am Professor Flitwick, Deputy Headmaster and head of Ravenclaw house. You will wait here, and when I come back to get you, you will all be sorted into one of four houses. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, or Slytherin. Take this time to clear your heads." On that note, Flitwick left the entrance hall and the first years milled about.

No more than a minute went by before Flitwick came back and ushered them in between the tables toward the long head table at the front. Rose looked up at the ceiling and was surprised by it. Then she remembered she had been trying to read about that when the boys were playing their Exploding Snap game. 'Stupid boys, how will I ever learn with them around?' She thought to herself. As the first years approached the Head table, they noticed a beaten-up old hat on a stool. There was a hush over the Great Hall as everyone waited for the Sorting Hat to sing its song.

The seam on the hat then spread open, and the Hat burst into song.

_In times of old, when I was new,  
And Hogwarts barely started,  
The founders of our noble school  
Thought never to be parted.  
United by a common goal,  
They had the selfsame yearning  
To make the world's best magic school  
And pass along their learning.  
"Together we will build and teach"  
The four good friends decided.  
And never did they dream that they  
Might someday be divided.  
For were there such friends anywhere  
As Slytherin and Gryffindor?  
Unless it was the second pair  
Unless it was the second pair  
Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw,  
So how could it have gone so wrong?  
How could such friendships fail?  
Why, I was there, so I can tell  
The whole sad, sorry tale.  
Said Slytherin, "We'll teach just those  
Whose ancestry's purest."  
Said Ravenclaw, "We'll teach those whose  
Intelligence is surest"  
Said Gryffindor, "We'll teach all those  
With brave deeds to their name."  
Said Hufflepuff, "I'll teach the lot  
And treat them just the same."  
These differences caused little strife  
When first they came to light.  
For each of the four founders had  
A house in which they might  
Take only those they wanted, so,  
For instance, Slytherin  
Took only pure-blood wizards  
Of great cunning just like him.  
And only those of sharpest mind  
Were taught by Ravenclaw  
While the bravest and the boldest  
Went to daring Gryffindor.  
Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest  
and taught them all she knew,  
Thus, the Houses and their founders  
Maintained friendships firm and true._

So Hogwarts worked in harmony  
for several happy years,  
but then discord crept among us  
feeding on our faults and fears.

The Houses that, like pillars four  
had once held up our school  
now turned upon each other and  
divided, sought to rule.  
And for a while it seemed the school  
must meet an early end.  
what with dueling and with fighting  
and the clash of friend on friend.  
And at last there came a morning  
when old Slytherin departed  
and though the fighting then died out  
he left us quite downhearted.  
And never since the founders four  
were whittled down to three  
have the Houses been united  
as they once were meant to be.

And now the Sorting Hat is here  
and you all know the score:  
I sort you into Houses  
because that is what I'm for.  
But this year I'll go further,  
listen closely to my song:  
though condemned I am to split you  
still I worry that it's wrong,  
though I must fulfill my duty  
and must quarter every year  
still I wonder whether sorting  
may not bring the end I fear.  
Oh, know the perils, read the signs,  
the warning history shows,  
for our Hogwarts is in danger  
from external, deadly foes  
and we must unite inside her  
or we'll crumble from within  
I have told you, I have warned you...  
let the Sorting now begin.

The entire hall began clapping, while Nearly-Headless Nick at the Gryffindor table was shaking his wobbling head. Once the clapping had come down, Flitwick began reading off the list of first years to be sorted. Scorpius knew he would be the first of all of his friends, but he wasn't afraid. He cleared his mind of all thoughts and sooner than he had expected Flitwick called, "Scorpius Malfoy."

There was a murmur through Slytherin house and someone yelled. "Does he need to be sorted? We all know where he'll go!" Professor Slughorn glared at his house from up at the high table and they all fell silent. Scorpius walked up and sat down on the stool. The last thing he saw was Albus Potter giving him thumbs up of good luck before the hat settled above his eyes.

_Hmm, Malfoy's kid eh? Don't you belong in… Not Slytherin, huh? Well, you do have an okay mind. And you are awfully devoted too. Ahh, I sense a lot of courage. You're also very trusting, but ambitious too. Are you sure not Slytherin? Well fine I guess you belong in "_GRYFFINDOR!"

That last word was the Sorting Hat's final decision, as it shouted it to the whole hall. The Sorting Hat was lifted off of his head and he walked over to the Gryffindor table in a daze. Everyone in the Hall seemed to be clapping. Well, almost everyone as the Slytherin table retained a stony silence. A few more names were called, until "Albus Potter."

Albus walked up to the hat, all confidence. The Hat barely sat on his head and only said, _well there's a confident _"GRYFFINDOR!" The boy got up from the stool and walked over to sit by Scorpius at the Gryffindor table. He was grinning from ear to ear, though he knew it would happen.

The next person called was "Lorcan Scamander." He walked up to the stool looking calm while inside he was screaming an at war with himself. Lorcan tried to look for his brother's reassuring face, but his eyes were covered too quickly by the Hat.

_ I see that you can't make up your mind. Very clever, very much like your mother. Ahh I see curiosity in there, as well as a passionate trust toward your friends. You're also confident, though you're too humble to see it. I know what house needs you most. You belong in_ "GRYFFINDOR!"

Lorcan got out of the chair shaking and looked at his friends at the Gryffindor table. They were smiling at him and making room for him on the bench. However, when he looked at Lysander he received a glare. He'd have to talk to him later. As he sat down, he turned to face the front as the name "Lysander Scamander" was called. Lysander sat with the hat on his head for almost a whole three minutes before it finally called out "RAVENCLAW!"

He had never seen his brother look so smug. Lorcan wondered who Lysander had met during their small time apart on the train that could have left him so different. He then saw a grinning Ravenclaw third year slap his brother on the back and felt uneasy. The Sorting didn't last much longer and ended with "Rose Weasley."

Rose walked up to the stool and didn't bother to sit down. It happened to every Weasley. The hat would spend about a second and proclaim her a Gryffindor.

_Another Weasley, eh. I swear you Weasleys breed like rabbits. _"GRYFFINDOR!"

A cheer went up at the Gryffindor table as the final first year joined them. The new professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts took the stool and hat away as Flitwick sat down and the Headmaster, Professor Chimer, stood up. "Hello and welcome to another fantastic year at Hogwarts. I cannot wait to spend another year filled with learning with you! Now, for the first years and those of you who still don't know, the Forbidden Forest is forbidden, swimming with the Giant Squid is against the rules, and please see Filch's list of forbidden objects on the outside of his door. Now, let's dig in!"

Professor Chimer sat back down and every plate in the middle of all four tables was covered with food. All of the first years were stunned, but then began to eat. Once they had all eaten their fill, the desserts popped up and it all started over again. Eventually Victoire, the Gryffindor prefect, stood up and led the first years up to their common room. The Fat Lady smiled at her as she gave the password of "Creampuffs." She then began running off all of the rules and told them where their dorms were. Half of it went straight over their heads. Lorcan was the most alert of his friends, so he would inform them in the morning. The boys said goodnight to Rose, then headed up to their dormitory. When they got there, all three of them lay down on top of their covers and fell fast asleep.


	2. Chapter 2: The First of Many

When Rose had gone to her dormitory that evening, she introduced herself to her three dorm-mates. Their names were Carmella Jones, Sadie Marie, and Olivia Chang. The girls then spent time unpacking before heading to bed. Rose looked up at the top of her four-poster. She sighed as she thought of how this would be her home for the next 7 years, and how glad she was that she could already have made great friends in her house. She fell asleep with a smile on her face and her alarm clock set for bright and early.

The next day, Scorpius and Albus were jolted awake by a sound that was the equivalent of nails on a chalkboard. They shoved their pillows over their ears and looked around and saw the two other boys they and Lorcan were sharing the room with. However, Lorcan was nowhere to be seen. The other two boys introduced themselves as Conner Finney and Seamus Wood. "So who's the other guy, the one singing like a banshee in the shower?" Seamus asked.

Albus responded gently, "The 'other guy' is our good friend Lorcan Scamander. And Lorcan doesn't sing, so I'm not sure what you mean by that." Just then, the screeching noise ended and the four boys pulled their pillows away from their ears. Emerging from the bathroom in nothing but a towel, Lorcan made quite the first impression on Conner and Seamus. They decided it was best not to comment on Lorcan's shower voice and got dressed with suppressed snickers and small talk about classes.

Lorcan, Albus and Scorpius parted ways with their dorm-mates and met with Rose in the common room. The four friends started to make their way down to the Great Hall before they realized they had no idea where they were going. Rose turned to one of the portraits on the wall, "Excuse me sir, could you help us find our way to the Great Hall?"

The portrait smiled at her and bowed. "Go straight down the hallway, down all of the stairs, and follow the flow of hungry students," were his instructions. They thanked him and followed the instructions to the Great Hall. Once they got there, they sat down at the Gryffindor table and began to eat. Their head of house, Professor Longbottom, came over to them with a smile and a hand full of schedules.

"Hello Rose, Albus and Lorcan. And you are? Wait; don't tell me… its Scorpius right? How are you all liking Hogwarts so far?" Professor Longbottom was happy to chat with the children of his friends and Scorpius had to be alright for a Malfoy if he was in Gryffindor.

"Hello Professor, it's good to see you. I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say we love Hogwarts." Lorcan replied happily. He didn't notice the mumbling of Scorpius and Albus about "bloody singing" or "up at the crack of dawn."

"Well that's great kids! Here are your schedules. Herbology first, and don't be late." He handed them each their schedules with a wink, then walked over to the next group of students.

They all examined their identical schedules. Scorpius was the first to let out a groan. "Herbology followed by Transfiguration this morning. Double Potions in the afternoon. It sounds so tedious!" The other three laughed at his groaning, but then gave a start. The owl post was in.

Many of the first years didn't know about the hundreds of owls coming in to bring mail. James grinned from down the table as a care package from his family came down for him, and then an almost identical one to Albus. Lorcan reached up to catch the small package from his mother before it was dropped on his head and Rose couldn't hide a grin as a large package came down from her Uncle George. As she opened it, she saw it full of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. However, Scorpius did not have a gleeful expression on his face; his was an expression of terror.

His friends looked up to see a black screech owl coming down toward Scorpius with a bright red letter in his claws. Scorpius gulped with dread and felt Lorcan's reassuring hand on his shoulder. The letter was dropped on Scorpius's plate and the bird flew off with a screech. While a moment ago the Hall was bustling with activity and glee, it was silent as every face was turned toward the small, blonde first year at the Gryffindor table with a Howler on his plate.

"It's best to get it over with, Scorpius." Rose said worriedly. "My father got one in his second year and he says it's best to just open it there and now." Scorpius looked at her and nodded. He peeled open the envelope and it burst into the air in front of his face. The voice of Scorpius's father, Draco Malfoy, rang through the Great Hall.

_SCORPIUS HYPERION MALFOY! How dare you land yourself in Gryffindor after all you have been taught! Next thing I know you will be like your Grandmother's cousin, turning your back on family! I thought I had taught you well against the ways of Sirius and Andromeda Black! There is no GLORY in being in that filthy, muggle-loving, Mudblood-filled house! You have disgraced our family! Our good pureblood, Slytherin bloodline has been tarnished! Do not bother coming back for Christmas! You might as well be a Weasley for the amount of love I have for you currently! Do not bother coming back for Easter! Your mother may take pity on you for "being stuck in Gryffindor" but I know better! I will be informing your Grandfather about this and you'll wish you'd never been born! You should burn–_

The enraged voice of Draco Malfoy was cut off by a cry of "INCENDIO" by Professor Longbottom. The letter burst into flames, lighting the face of Scorpius that was torn between shock, fear and sadness. Professor Longbottom gave the remainder of the schedules to Victoire to hand out and rushed over to Scorpius. His friends were looking at him in shock, as were every other face in the Great Hall. Rose and Lorcan, who were sitting on either side of him, started rubbing his arms in support. Once Professor Longbottom got to their spot at the table, the Great Hall was slowly returning to normal. Scorpius came out of his shocked state and tried to get up and run out of the hall. The head of Gryffindor house put an arm around the shaking boy. "Come on, Mr. Malfoy. Let's have a talk in my office."

Professor Longbottom led the shaking boy out of the Great Hall and toward his office. The eyes of Scorpius's friends followed him out, worried about their friend. Once they got to Professor Longbottom's office, the professor closed the door and told Scorpius to sit down. Scorpius collapsed into the armchair Professor Longbottom had signaled and burst into tears. He and the professor sat like that for a while, the professor sitting behind his desk as the student was in tears before him.

Once Scorpius had regained his composure, Professor Longbottom asked gently, "Scorpius, are you alright? That was extremely harsh of your father to say and do. I will not tolerate that type of thing being said to one of my students."

Scorpius sat upright, shaking. "I'll be f-fine, Professor. He's just never said those things to me before. And- and- and it hurts, having your father practically disown you in front of the entire student body."

"As head of Gryffindor house I can safely tell you that you are one hundred percent welcome. You could not have made a group of better friends if you had tried. But promise me one thing." The professor looked the boy right in the eyes as he said, "if you get another letter from your father, bring it to me. You do not need your father screaming more blasphemy at you. Understand?"

"Yes professor, I understand." Scorpius nodded as he and the professor got up to leave.

"Come now, Mr. Malfoy. You have Herbology with the rest of your Gryffindor's first today. Hufflepuff will also be there but I'm sure you've been told about how friendly they can be." The professor talked to Scorpius, but laughed as he opened the door and saw something he'd never thought he'd see. Lorcan, Albus, and Rose were waiting outside his office door, and as soon as Scorpius exited the three crowded him in a hug. "Herbology starts in 10 minutes. Don't be late," said Professor Longbottom as he walked off to the greenhouses with a smile on his face.

Rose started talking the minute the professor walked away. "Scorpius, are you okay? You looked so shell-shocked back at the Great Hall. We're worried about you! I hope you know that you being a Malfoy does nothing to change our opinion of you. You're still our friend, no matter what happens." Lorcan and Albus nodded in agreement to everything Rose said. A smile tugged at Scorpius's mouth as he heard his new friends' concern.

"Thanks you guys. I'm fine now. I should have anticipated something like this. I am, after all, the first Malfoy in generations to be in Gryffindor instead of Slytherin. My dad's just angry at me for breaking some sacred family tradition." Scorpius tried to reassure them that everything was fine.

Lorcan wasn't buying it nearly as much as Rose and Albus were and eyed Scorpius curiously. "Scorp, are you sure you're okay? You still look pretty shaken up."

The boys locked eyes and Scorpius replied, "I appreciate your concern, Lorcan. However I think I can handle it. I've got great friends, what more could I need?" This response satisfied Lorcan, and the foursome headed for the Herbology greenhouses. Their schedules said "Greenhouse 4" which they found with ease. Rose noticed people staring at Scorpius as they made their way to the greenhouses and gave them each a glare. Nobody was going to judge her friend.

When they made it to the greenhouse they sat in a little protective bubble around Scorpius, which the boy was thankful for. Professor Longbottom told them all about the course, but they did not begin working on the plants. Scorpius's mind was so full of his father's words that he couldn't focus on the professor. 'That filthy, muggle-loving, Mudblood-filled house.' That's what his father had called it. How could he be such a monster? The pre-occupied boy began to squirm and fidget, which caused Albus to put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. 'I can get through this,' thought Scorpius. 'I've got friends, what more do I need."

Herbology passed by quicker than it seemed and the four of them headed to their Transfiguration lesson. Lorcan was worried because they shared that class with the Ravenclaws. "Hey, guys…" Lorcan turned to his friends. "I'm going to go on ahead and see if I can run into Lysander."

Albus smiled, "Go on ahead, Lorcan. We'll catch up to you in the classroom. Scorpius, who does the schedule say the teacher is?"

Scorpius checked the schedule and responded, "We've got Professor Vane. Geez, what a name."

Rose giggled, "Dad said Professor Vane once had a crush on your dad, Albus." The boys joined her in snickering as Lorcan ran ahead. As he slipped into the classroom he saw his brother sitting alone, reading the newest edition of _The Quibbler. _

Lorcan slid into the desk next to him. "Lysander, what was that back in the Great Hall? I'm glad you got into Ravenclaw like you wanted but why'd you glare at me?" Lysander continued to read his book as his brother was talking to him. "Are you going to answer me?"

Lysander snapped his book shut and stared right at his brother. "Lorcan, you don't understand, do you? Ravenclaw is where the brains go, whereas Gryffindor is where all the cocky people go." Shocked by his brother's revelation, Lorcan's jaw dropped. But Lysander wasn't done, "thus, I cannot be seen with you or people will think I belong in Gryffindor too." He turned back to open his book when Lorcan slapped him.

"What would Mother say if she heard you? Luna Lovegood could have been in Gryffindor if she'd wanted to! She's a very brave witch! All the houses are equal, and the way you're acting I don't want to socialize with you. Talk to you at Christmas, Lysander. I've got to go see my friends." With that, Lorcan got up and walked over to where his friends had just entered in a laughing fit.

"Lorcan, my dad said that Slughorn had probably kicked the bucket by now. But- but look who our Potions master is!" Albus told the boy between laughs. "SLUGHORN!" Lorcan joined in his friends' laughing until there was a cough from the front of the classroom.

Professor Vane stood in the front of the room with a large, majestic bird on her arm, and motioned for everyone to take their seats. "I am Professor Vane, and this is Transfiguration." With that, Professor Vane launched into another synopses session of the class.

Their little group spent the class hour passing notes between the four of them and the class hour zipped by.

Guys, I think we need some kind of code name for us. Like the Marauders had. –ASP

I don't know, Albus. We're not like the Marauders. –SM

Now have a little fun, Scorp. I have an idea, how about the Crusaders? –RW

So we're naming ourselves after a band of war soldiers? –LS

Do you have a better idea, Lorcan? –RW

Well… not really. No. –LS

Guys, quit fighting. How about the Charmers? –ASP

Good gosh, no. That just sounds downright juvenile. –RW

I know! How about the Fantastic Foursome? Like the muggle superhero comic –SM

Wow, Scorp. Of all the people to bring up a muggle comic book, it was you, but I think it's the Fantastic Four. But I like it. –LS

I like Foursome better than Four, so deal with it. Seconded! –RW

Then that settles it! We are now the Fantastic Four. –ASP

Next question is… who's who? And what's our first prank? -LS

The four were perfectly content, until they heard "take notes on pages 15-75 of _A Beginners Guide to Transfiguration_ for Thursday of this week. You are dismissed." They looked up and grinned at each other. The newfound Fantastic Four were rearing to go!

They sat through lunch chatting about ideas for pranks, all of which were shot down by the ever-practical Lorcan. Everything from dung-bombs in the teachers' lounge (juvenile) to dung-bombs in the girls' bathroom (Rose is sitting right here, guys) to fireworks in the entrance hall (The Weasley twins already did that) was given a big "no" by Lorcan with some reason why. Rose, Scorpius, and Albus got so caught up in trying to trip up Lorcan on his reasons why not that they completely forgot about the teacher they now had for a double Potions lesson.

As they walked through the doorway of the dungeon classroom, they heard a cry of "OHO!" from across the room and were jerked from their conversation. Their professor, Professor Slughorn, came wobbling up to them toting a walking stick and adjusting his hearing aids. "There you are! I've been waiting for you to show up!" He talked as he walked, dropping the walking stick as he flung an arm around both Rose and Albus and smiled at Lorcan. Albus could hardly stifle a groan, while Scorpius was all but forgotten.

"I've been waiting to meet you kids for so long! I taught all of your parents, other than your father, Lorcan. Oho, I'll bet Harry has told you all about me, hasn't he?" Rose and Albus grumbled a yes, which Slughorn gladly took the way they had intended him to. "I thought so! He and I were very close. And Hermione was quite the gem! Extremely intelligent, always ready to answer the questions I asked. And Luna…" The professor rambled on and on about how great their parents were to teach, and invited the three to his "Slug Club." They looked around uncomfortably for Scorpius and found him saving their spots for them, and graciously declined Slughorn's "generous offer."

After the initial welcoming of half of the students and invitations to the Slug Club he began class the same way as the other teachers, with a synopsis of the course and by showing them various examples. The Fantastic Foursome continued their conversation from lunch with the notes and continued to turn up blank.

Once class was dismissed, they all hurriedly picked up their bags and practically ran for the door as none of them wanted to get stuck talking to Slughorn again. Though it was only Tuesday, when they all got back to the common room Rose got out her Transfiguration homework and began. The boys however, being boys, began a game of Exploding Snap. Rose smiled to herself, as she knew that the next night all three of them would be begging her to let them copy her notes.

Later that evening, Rose had finished her Transfiguration homework while Lorcan, Scorpius, and Albus had accomplished almost getting half of their eyebrows burned off. They headed down to the Great Hall, where they ate dinner while chatting with their fellow Gryffindor first years. None of the other first years were nearly as intriguing as the Fantastic Foursome thought themselves, but they talked to them as they knew a conversation with just Rose would result in the boys being chastised for putting off their homework.

After dinner, they occupied themselves with playing Wizard Chess, Rose against Scorpius and Albus against Lorcan. Each of them were making stupid moves as their minds were wandering far from the game and into the day that had been their first ever day at Hogwarts. They all knew that they would not be forgetting this day any time soon. Once it was evident that nobody was going to win anytime soon, they called the games quits and went to bed.

Each of them spent quite a bit of time looking up at the ceiling of their four-poster, wondering what other surprises Hogwarts would have in store for them. They all hoped it would be full of pranks, and not Howlers.


	3. Chapter 3: Plans From a Genius

Chapter three

Much of their week followed in the same way, almost becoming monotonous. The boys rejoiced when the weekend came, even though it was only their first three days of classes. During that week Rose spent her time with the boys, completely ignoring her female roommates. When she finally headed up to her dormitory from a game of Wizard Chess with Lorcan (which she had won) she was faced with a sight she found odd. Her roomies, Carmella, Sadie, and Olivia, were sitting on her bed facing the door and when Rose walked in they all smiled.

"Uh… hi guys?" Rose said in a confused manner.

Carmella spoke first, "Well, Rose, as your roomies we felt obligated to check on your wellbeing. You haven't been hanging with the three of us very much and we thought that we were friends."

Olivia continued the obviously-scripted talk. "We have come to the conclusion that you have been spending too much time with those boys you call friends. Given, they are not all that bad looking but you need to hang out with GIRLS more."

"So, in conclusion," Sadie prepared to conclude, "We have determined that it is time you start hanging with us. We'll walk with you to the Great Hall in the morning and hang out with you in classes. It's for your own good, Rose."

Through the entire talk, Rose had been backing toward the door. "Guys, that's awful kind of you but you really don't need to do so much for me. Sure, I'll hang with you sometimes but the guys are my friends and Albus is my cousin. Erm… I'll be back later." Rose turned around and bolted out the door. She determined that she would never understand the anatomy of the female. Once she was back in the common room she made what she thought was a well-hidden beeline for the boy's dormitory which Albus, Lorcan, and Scorpius had retreated to. However, James noticed and waltzed right into her way.

"Hey cousinkins," he said, cornering her into a conversation. "Long time no chat, huh?"

Rose tried to stifle her groan. "Hello James. And no, it has not been a long time. It has been since you came to bug Albus at breakfast. I'm trying to get somewhere so I don't have time to chat."

James grinned wickedly. "Oh, but you didn't look like you were going anywhere. Come, chat with us." He flung an arm around her shoulders and practically dragged her over to where he and his friends were sitting in the comfy armchairs by the common room fire.

"Actually James, as fun as it sounds to talk to you guys, I'm busy." She searched for something to cover why she was heading to the boys' dormitory. "Lorcan borrowed my copy of _Hogwarts, a History _and I need to get it back as I haven't finished it." That was a downright lie, she had in fact finished it three times, but James didn't know that.

The boy made a pouty face and burst into laughter with his friends as rage covered the normally calm and collected face of his cousin. "Fine, but we'll have to chat soon!" He called as she hurried along to her friends' dorm.

When Rose got there, Scorpius and Albus were deep in discussion about the prank they were planning for the weekend while Lorcan was absorbed with his latest copy of _The Quibbler. _She burst in without knocking, but the boys didn't notice. Rose stood in the doorway, waiting for them to notice.

"No, we do not need to Owl for more decoy detonators. We have enough just from Rose's latest package from uncle George." Albus argued with Scorpius.

"But Albus," Scorpius replied with a critical eye. "We want the entire floor clear while we set up. If anyone were to see it would ruin it all." They went back and forth like that for a while until Rose interrupted.

"I'm on good standings with Peeves. I'll ask him if he can help with a distraction in the entrance hall while we set up." The boys jumped and looked over, just noticing that she was there. "Gosh, I'm not just Uncle George's favorite niece; I've been bringing Peeves toys for the past three days. He owes me and loves me."

They smiled at this and Lorcan commented from behind his _Quibbler,_ "So now that that's settled, why are you here Rose?"

Rose groaned and flopped onto Scorpius's bed. "Ugh, apparently you're supposed to be best friends with your roomies and believe in the muggle concept of cooties. And since my best friends are guys and I find my roomies to be prissy, I'm going to be under constant surveillance." The three boys looked at her in disbelief, and then fell over laughing.

Scorpius was the first to recover enough to respond. "Rose, please tell me you are playing a cruel joke on us. Honestly, there's no way your roommates are that protective."

The comment earned him a glare. "Do I look like I'm kidding? How about your roommates? Are they on you, trying to make you hang with them?"

Albus and Scorpius chorused, "No!" While Lorcan muttered, "Actually they find us odd and think that we are just stuck up sons-of-famous-people." The other three looked at Lorcan in shock. "What, don't you hear what everyone says about us? Just because our parents are war heroes we can do whatever we want."

All four of them sat on the beds in silence. Rose, not standing the silence, asked again about roomies. "So, where are your roommates?"

"Down in the common room talking to James. Don't ask me why, I think it's just to make us mad," Albus answered. The four exchanged small talk, not knowing what else they could say to one another. Lorcan looked over at Scorpius, who had remained strangely quiet since the topic of war heroes had come up.

After about half an hour of talking, the boys' roommates came up. Rose was determined to read their body language and find out if what Lorcan said was true. When they entered the room, they did glare. However, their glares were aimed at one person. Scorpius. The two roommates, who had seemed nice at first, had something out for their fellow Gryffindor.

"Albus! What is your cousin doing in here? She isn't supposed to be! As your roommate, I will not stand for it." Conner barked, as though talking to a dog.

Rose's cousin glared at his roommate, but it was Scorpius who responded. "Then sit down, Finney. Why the bloody hell can't she be in here? Wasn't it you who decided yesterday to set up housekeeping and state that girls we want up here can come up here if we so please? Or was that Wood?"

Seamus sneered. "And wasn't it you who opposed it, saying that later in our Hogwarts life it would lead to sickening sounds in the nighttime? Like you knew what that was like. Like you were used to it from mommy and daddy."

Scorpius looked ready to pounce on the other boy when Lorcan, ever the cool-headed one, stepped in. "Conner, Seamus, please. We don't want a fight. I would like to point out that after he pointed that out to you, you scoffed in his face and said 'So it's a deal. Glad you understand, snakey.'"

And so the almost-fight began. Scorpius tried to jump on the two boys, but was held back by Lorcan. Rose was practically sitting on top of Albus to keep him from getting off the bed and hitting his roommates. However, Rose had unconsciously drawn her wand and had it pointed at Seamus and Conner, holding the two at bay. The two seemed to have forgotten that a) they were wizards and b) they were first years who hadn't been taught any spells yet. Of course, they soon remembered the latter of the options.

Conner scoffed at Rose, holding out her wand when no lessons had been taught. "What are you, stupid? We don't know any spells yet!"

Rose smirked as she said, "We haven't been _taught _any spells yet, but I _am _my mother's daughter. _Petrificus Totalus!"_

Albus looked at his cousin in shock. Both he and Scorpius forgot to struggle against their captors. "What did you do?" he asked her.

She just smiled. "I've been reading and practicing a few easy spells with my mum. It's just a simple full-body bind spell. It'll wear off in a few minutes though so I'd spend the next half hour in the common room and wait for them to conk out. I'm going to bed now. Good night." Rose then skipped out of the dormitory, leaving behind three awestruck boys. Because they were smarter than they looked, they followed Rose's advice and hung out in the common room for a while before heading to bed.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Rose woke extra early the next day to avoid her roommates. She dressed in casual muggle clothes and went to her trunk. Her Uncle George was her favorite uncle, and she was his favorite niece, so she had an arsenal's worth of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes products. As she looked at them, she smiled. 'Today is going to be a good day,' she thought to herself. She took the needed Wheezes from her trunk, namely Decoy Detonators, and a skiving snackbox.

In truth, Rose had also wanted to bring a portable swamp, "just in case" as Albus would put it, but Lorcan had pointed out that her Uncles had already done something similar. It would have to wait, but she would use it because Uncle George had said he'd made that one especially for her. Once she was sure she had everything she needed, she left the dormitory. Rose hoped she wouldn't have to come back until that night as her roommates were, well, off. She slid out of the dorm just as Olivia was beginning to stir.

Once in the common room she met up with Lorcan, Albus, and Scorpius, each of them holding their contribution. Scorpius still looked disturbed from the night before, and why wouldn't he? Rose had realized when she got back to her dorm that they were talking about family war heroes. In Scorpius's family, his grandfather had gone to Azkaban and his father was famous for running in the heat of the battle. Add that to all that the boys' roommates had said and you had one perturbed 11 year old boy.

"Alright, we all know the plan?" Albus asked for the third time on their way down to the Great Hall. "I mean, everyone has the needed tools and knows the plan?"

Lorcan and Rose laughed. "Yes Albus," Rose said gently. "We went over it in the common room just five minutes ago. I've got Peeves and the detonators."

Scorpius added, "I've got getting the teachers' lounge password."

Albus had to reassure himself too. "I've got filling the candy bowls."

Finally, the dubious Lorcan finished. "And I am going to distract Filch and James, whoever comes first." The Fantastic Foursome looked at each other, and then headed into the Great Hall for breakfast. As Uncle George always said, never prank on an empty stomach.

As they tucked into their breakfasts, the daily owl post came in. They hadn't gotten up as early as they'd liked to think, but their roommates were always among the last ones to get up. None of them looked up to admire the owls, as they'd already grown used to the spectacle. Rose only looked up when her Uncle's owl, Prankster, landed in front of her. He held out his leg for her to take the letter that was attached. Once she had taken the letter from him, she fed him one of the English muffins from her plate. Prankster ate it happily, nuzzled her (as Uncle George had trained him to), and took off.

After Prankster had flown away, Albus, Lorcan, and Scorpius crowded around Rose to read the letter. At first Rose thought that it was just another one of Uncle George's letters telling her about the newest Wheezes he wanted her to beta (to her mother's obvious disproval), however this time it wasn't.

_Dear Rosie,_

_ First off, I've got a new version of the Decoy Detonators that I need someone to test. I'm assuming that I can count on you and I'll send them by Monday. I'm also glad to hear you are pranking like I thought you would, but really? Discussing it in the common room? Don't ask who my source is, a good prankster never tells all their secrets. Cast 'Sonorous' on the curtains of one of the closed four-posters next time. But this isn't about your lack of good planning space; this is about the plan itself. Do not plan a prank like this on a weekend, teachers actually do go into the teachers' lounge during the weekend and it would not have the effect you are looking for. Freddie and I intended to pull this one when we were in 7__th__ year but never got to it. I think you can pull it off. Though I do love the idea of Peeves respecting you, it opens a world of possibilities. ;)_

_Lots of love,_

_Uncle George_

After the signature was an elaborate plan that was completely unique and tailored to a four-person team. Rose was again amazed at the creative mind of her favorite uncle. Her friends seemed equally amazed as they read through the plans. Scorpius cleared his throat. "I think we can pull this off this evening at dinner, don't you?"

Rose gave a grin and said, "We'll need some prep time, but we can do it. Let's get the stuff and get ready. A few hundred extra candles will take some time." The four hurried through their breakfast and almost ran back up to the common room.

They stopped in front of the Fat Lady to catch their breath. Rose gave the password, "creampuffs," and they walked in. From the looks of it, the common room was deserted so Rose decided to run up and grab the rest of what they needed from her trunk. She realized that Uncle George had probably sent all of those Wheezes just in preparation of this one prank once she got up to her trunk. Yelling down the staircase, she said, "You guys need to get up here! I can't carry all of this down myself." Albus and Scorpius began to run up the stairs while Lorcan watched with entertainment as the stairs turned to a slide under their feet.

Lorcan then cried up to Rose, "I thought you had read _Hogwarts, a History. _Boys cannot go into the girls' dormitory because the founders trusted girls more." Albus and Scorpius got up from the ground, muttering something about the founders "needing to pay" and "we're keeping the Wheezes in our room from now on."

Rose laughed from upstairs. "Yes I have, Lorcan. But you've got to admit that was funny. Anyway, I do need help so if you can keep the stairs a slide, I'll send what we need down."

Scorpius shook his head with a laugh. "Why did you have to be smart enough to come up with that? My butt will not be thanking you!"

Rose responded with a laugh of her own. "Who says I want it to?" She then proceeded to start sending down the Wheezes. The largest of the boxes were sent down first, because who knew how long the boys could keep falling on their butts without injuring themselves, namely the two Deflagration Deluxes. Uncle George had sent them on the first day of school in her care package, with a note saying they were custom. Then again, when it came to Wheezes for Rose her uncle always made them custom.

After the main part was sent down, she pushed half of her Decoy Detonators (which was more than the average normal person would ever have) and three more Skiving Snackboxes. Then she sent the new stuff that she was beta-ing for her uncle. There was what he called the Mood Candle, which changed colors depending on the lighter's mood that was immune to all darkness, which she sent down almost a hundred of. As she was sending things down, Albus and Scorpius took turns sitting, or attempting to sit, on the stairs. Lorcan was looking on, amused that they were doing such a stupid thing.

When Rose came down, the boys counted all of their things. Lorcan then noticed the flaw. "Rose, didn't the plan require Instant Darkness Powder from Peru?" Lorcan asked dubiously.

Rose grinned wickedly and pulled a small bag of pure black powder from her pocket. The four checked the time and noticed that breakfast was almost over and people would be coming back up soon. They carried their boxes up to the boys' dormitory and came back down with just the Mood Candles. By the time they made it down to the Great Hall, it was empty of everyone but Filch.

Scorpius saw this as his chance to make a move. He ran up to the third floor corridor and dropped a Decoy Detonator and a Dungbomb. He then cleared out, lest he be caught by the less than happy caretaker. The other three waited for a few minutes pressed up against the wall until they heard a boom from above them. Filch ran past them toward the stairs, muttering obscenities under his breath.

Though the three wanted to wait for Scorpius, they knew better than to waste time. By the time the fourth boy came back down, they had set up half of the candles using the one charm they had been taught. Rose was most proficient, lifting up to three at a time. Albus looked up as Scorpius walked in. "Quickly, Scorp! Help us out! _Wingardium leviosa. _Damn, why isn't this working for me!"

Rose shot a glare his way at the cuss and corrected him. "First off, do not cuss or I will send a letter about your dirty mouth to Aunt Ginny. Secondly, you're saying it all wrong. It's Levi-Oh-sah, not levio-sah."

Albus scratched his head. "Why do I feel the oddest sense of deja-vu?"

Lorcan yelled from his spot with candles. "Shut up and work! We've got approximately two minutes until Filch gets back." The Fantastic Foursome quick finished up the candles and rushed out of the Hall in the nick of time. Filch ran back in, suspicious of what might have happened. When he saw nothing wrong, he finished sweeping and left to stalk the halls.

The four friends decided to spend the day outside, considering that the weather was nice. They came upon an oak tree and collapsed in the shade under it. Scorpius, being the tallest, noticed something odd on the tree and read it aloud. "'James and Lily Potter.' It's rather faded, so I don't think it's your siblings, Albus. Why are their names in a tree?"

Albus made a face that made it evident that he was racking his brains. Then he slapped his face, remembering what his father had told him. "My Dad's parents were named Lily and James. Apparently James loved Lily all through Hogwarts. Maybe this is the tree the Marauders hung out under! Wouldn't that be so cool?"

Rose smiled at her cousin. "That would be cool, but what are the odds?"

Lorcan, ever logical, looked up from his copy of _The Quibbler _that he hadn't been able to finish the night before. "Better than you think, Rose. Much, much better."

**A.N. Hello there my silent readers! I know you're there and I thank you for your support with Favorites and Story Alerts. However, I'd be very happy if you review. I'm free for summer now so it's this story that keeps me going and I'm happy to hear your input, even if it's just "I like it!" Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4: A Prank to Remember

Chapter 4

The Fantastic Foursome spent the rest of the afternoon under that tree, which they dubbed the Marauder Tree. Though it was odd, they didn't believe that the carving of "James and Lily Potter" was just coincidence. Their time that day under the tree was entirely dedicated to the prank that they knew had to succeed. They went into the castle at one point to get lunch, but the food was eaten under the tree as the four friends prepared for their first ever prank. Rose must have had the plan drilled into her mind from the number of times they had gone over it. Scorpius was so sure of his part that he could recite it in 30 seconds flat without stopping for air or unsure pauses. Lorcan was ready to go after the first time they went over it. Albus was jittery but ready to go at a moments' notice.

"So, do we need to go over it one more time?" Albus asked for the fifteenth time in fifteen minutes. His friends chorused back a solid "NO!" and Albus dropped it. A few minutes after the outburst, the four headed back to the boys' dormitory to collect the supplies they had moved earlier.

It was a nice day and as they went inside and walked up to the Common Room, the castle seemed deserted. They picked up the boxes and hurried them down to the Great Hall, placing them under the seats that had been claimed as theirs. As dinner was starting in a few minutes, platters of food were slowly appearing on the tables. Many of the candles were lighting as well, as the days had been getting shorter, and the four hurriedly lit all of their own Mood Candles from earlier. They were all the color of orange (thankfully) for anticipation.

After the tasks inside were done, they walked back outside and waited. Once dinner was about to start, they ran back inside and sat at the spots with their Deflagration Deluxes. The four didn't talk much as they waited, their candles flickering dangerously between anticipation orange and excited blue, but communicated with looks, winks, and grins. A few people found this odd, but most failed to notice. After all, they were just stupid first years.

At a well-timed look at the watch and wink from Rose, Scorpius and Lorcan slipped off, Scorpius to set off Decoy Detonators on every floor, sending all of the students and teachers to the refuge that was the Great Hall. Lorcan to put Skiving Snackbox candy into the teachers' candy bowls, so that they would become to weary and broken down after dinner to punish them. When Scorpius and Lorcan got back, they scarfed down their food as their friends had already finished. It seemed that the four couldn't handle the anticipation much longer, and it seemed that the entire student body was there, they decided they'd need to start the plan now.

Rose began with the Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder. She threw a large handful of it from the bag into the air, engulfing the Great Hall in darkness but for the Mood Candles the four had set up and the crescent moon. At the same time, Scorpius, Lorcan and Albus reached under the bench and pulled out the four Deflagration Deluxes. While the teachers hurried to pull out their wands to restore order, each of the four knelt beside one of the boxes. "One…" said Rose.

"Two…" Scorpius said with a grin that looked wicked in the enchanted candlelight.

"THREE!" Lorcan and Albus shouted together. On their count, all four of them set off their Deflagration Deluxes. Rose's Uncle George had said that they were custom made and he meant it. The Great Hall was almost instantly engulfed in multi-colored light.

One firework said "Welcome baaaaaaaaack!"Another one said, "Respect the Red!" Yet another said, "Watch your Bottom!" Every single one said something hilarious that only Uncle George could have thought of, but only Rose and her friends could pull off saying.

The teachers were trying everything in their power, but their efforts were for naught. Every spell that hit the fireworks multiplied them. It was what George Weasley called, "Our best invention since Canary Creams." By now, the students were roaring with laughter at all the Weasley's Wizard Whiz-bangs, as the fireworks were called. Many of the Muggle-borns were mesmerized, as Muggle fireworks could come nowhere near the amazement that these provided.

After a while, the teachers were able to restore light to the candles of the Great Hall and began to look for the guilty party. Now, this proved harder than they thought as everyone, including the Fantastic Foursome, was smiling up at the sky in awe at the Whiz-Bangs. Eventually, the teachers gave up their scathing search of the student body and their attempts to remove the Whiz-bangs. Professor Flitwick smiled up at the Whiz-Bangs, remembering the first time they were employed in pranking by the Weasley Twins themselves. Looking over at Professor Sprout, he saw she was doing the same.

Professor Chimer stepped up to the podium unexpectedly. "Alright, enough of this nonsense everyone. 'Respect the Red,' which Weasley did this?" He spoke with a grin but everyone knew he wasn't joking around. "Now, whoever did it should confess or the entire Weasley clan will receive detentions."

When James heard this, he looked directly down the table at Rose and Albus. Technically speaking, he and Albus were part of that group. Professor Chimer's face grew less and less happy with every passing second. Scorpius felt like Chimer was staring right at himself and his friends and could not take the pressure.

"Professor, it wasn't the Weasleys who did it. I did. It seemed like a good idea and…" Scorpius was cut off by Chimer.

"Thank you for turning yourself in. Professor Longbottom, please take your student and punish him. Now, everyone else, let's finish our meals in the light of the fireworks." Professor Chimer then returned to his seat and began to eat his treacle tart. Scorpius gulped and walked over to where Professor Longbottom was beckoning him at the door. As he walked over though, he noticed Longbottom looking at his friends too, who were following.

His friends joined him with Longbottom and showed that they had no intention of going anywhere without Scorpius. Professor Longbottom gave a sigh, and said, "Well, I suppose it's fitting that you all should be the culprits. Come now, my office if you please."

Longbottom led the four first years to his office and shut the door. "Now, whose grand master plan was this?" inquired the Professor.

Rose looked at her feet and said, "My Uncle George. He sent us the plans and the stuff we used in it." The others were also looking at their feet, though they had no remorse for what they had done. It was innocent fun. Obviously the Professor thought so too, as he started laughing as soon as he heard George's name.

"Figures," Laughed the professor. "Well, I do not see what the big problem is, but Chimer obviously sees something wrong with your little fun. I believe 5 points each from Gryffindor will be enough to satisfy our Headmaster." The children, who had hopefully turned to face their Head of House, hung their heads in shame. But, the professor wasn't finished. "And, I award 25 points to Gryffindor in the light of recent events that everyone needs a bit of a laugh."

The four children looked up at his smiling face in surprise. None of them had expected this. Albus was the most confused and spoke the question that was echoing in all of their minds. "Professor, what do you mean 'in light of recent events'?"

The smile was quickly gone from Professor Longbottom's face. When he looked at the children and saw that they were all wondering the same thing, he sighed. "That is not something that I have the power to inform you of. Now, off to bed with you. I've kept you much too long. However, back to your punishment, I will be sending a letter to George and your parents about this. Not that George will pay it any attention."

Scurrying out of the office and off to the common room, the four were worried and confused and Scorpius kept muttering obscenities about the letter that was probably going to get him another Howler. They got back to the common room, said a hurried goodnight, and headed up to their dormitories. Rose automatically showered, dressed in pajamas, and pretended to sleep to avoid her roommates. The boys did the same, only after talking about how amazing the prank was. Nobody wanted to talk about the new uprising.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

If you could believe it, none of the four friends got a good night's rest, worried about what would be coming in the mail. They all woke from their restless slumbers at different times and met in the Great Hall at breakfast. The Hall was alight with the tale of the fireworks, how cool they were and how unlikely it was that first years had pulled it off without help. As the four were eating their waffles, four owls flew into the Great Hall with the post and landed in front of them. Before touching the owls, they all checked to see that the envelopes weren't red or smoking. After sharing a worried glance, they took their letters from the birds and the birds flew away.

"Well, no need to wait to read my dad's disproval," Scorpius said, resigned. He opened his letter first, and was surprised to see that it was not from his father. The letter was written in the scrawling, graceful print of him mother.

_Dear son, _

_You are extremely lucky that Professor Longbottom sent me a letter about this antic of yours and not your father. I'm terribly sorry about the Howler that he sent you. Your father is an awfully impulsive man. However, I do agree with him now after this antic on your invitation home. You are not invited home for Christmas or Easter. You are grounded for the entirety of your time home this summer. And most importantly you need to clean up your act. I will not be telling your father of the friendships you are striking with Weasleys and Potters, but if you put another toe out of line I will. _

_-Mother_

As Scorpius was reading his letter, Rose opened hers. Her jaw dropped when she saw the sheer length of it, written in three different hands, that was a combination punishment and "how ya doing" letter.

_Dearest Rose,_

_Your father and I are deeply disappointed in you. Setting off fireworks in the Great Hall during dinner? Even your Uncle had the audacity to perform his similar prank in the Entrance hall. It is greatly disappointing to see that you truly have been taking after your father more than me; I hope you are doing your homework._

_Rosie, ignore your mother's rant about your Uncle. He did it during the O.W.L.'s and I can tell that he sent you the plans. Now, as for your friendship with the Malfoy boy… I can't say I'm proud of that but even if he's in Gryffindor keep on your toes. Malfoys are no good, no matter what house._

_Hey Rose! I heard Mum and Dad talking about the prank you pulled and it sounded awesome! Do ya think that next time you could blow up a bathroom and send me a toilet seat so I'll have my very own piece of Hogwarts? Mum is shaking her head. Mum, don't take the quill! Bye Rose, love Hugo!_

_Anyway, we all want to wish you luck in your classes. We hope all is going well. Your brother I'm sure isn't serious about the toilet seat and I do not want to see that coming home. _

_Try your best Rosie, we love you. No more pranks, as your mother would say._

_Love, Mum and Dad_

Rose was unused to letters from home. Her mother had said that with work they wouldn't be able to write. _Well,_ she thought, _at least I know Hugo will write. _Looking around she noticed Lorcan poring over a rather short note with a grin on his face.

_Lorcan, dear, next time don't get caught. Good job for getting in Gryffindor. Many of my best friends were in Gryffindor. Don't listen to your brother, I don't. I'm just as proud of you as I am of Lysander. Have fun at Hogwarts! ~Mother~_

Lorcan, Scorpius, and Rose all looked at their one remaining friend. Albus had yet to open his letter from home. "Come on, Albus," Said Lorcan, "They aren't that bad." Scorpius gave him a contradictory look. Taking a deep breath, Albus opened his letter and began reading. It was from his father.

_Dear Albus,_

_Listen to me when I say to choose your battles wisely. Some you will want to fight, others you shouldn't. Watch out for your friend, he is a battle worth fighting. I can imagine how much hurt the Slytherins are putting him through. Keep your friends close, Albus. _

_On the other hand, about this prank. It was a noble thing you did, not letting the Malfoy boy take all of the blame. However, next time you use fireworks do so outside. Even if they are your Uncle's Whiz-Bangs, someone could still get hurt. I'm sure they're still running about the castle, so watch out. We don't want Madame Pomfrey on your case. Lily says "Hi" and that she and Hugo want matching toilet seats from your next prank. I'm putting a solid no on it, so write so they won't get their hopes up. I have no qualms about your continued pranking, just next time don't get caught._

_Now, on a final note, get your homework done, do well in school, only listen to Trelawney if she's spewing a prophecy, no toilets being blown up, and above all, keep your friends close. Heaven above knows what will happen to you without them._

_-Dad_

They had all finished their letters and were glad to have it out of the way. That is, until they saw a Howler come in and head for them. Scorpius turned white with fear and shock. Professor Longbottom also saw this and was up from his seat faster than anyone thought possible. He pointed his wand at the letter and said calmly, "Incendio." The letter burst into flames in the talons of Scorpius's father's owl and crumbled to ashes in the middle of the Gryffindor table. After taking a look to see that nobody was hurt by the falling ashes, Professor Longbottom returned to his seat and resumed conversation with Professor Flitwick.

Scorpius sat in utter bewilderment, but wasn't as bewildered as his poor family owl. The bird was hovering in the air above Scorpius's head, looking at its talons where a letter had been but a moment before. With a loud, indignant squawk it soared back out of the Hall. All of this happened rather quickly, and most of the people in the Hall hadn't noticed.

Rose was the first to notice that their friend was almost fainting. "Here, eat this. Our cousin Teddy says that chocolate always helps." She waved a piece of chocolate under Scorpius's nose, which he took gratefully. "I don't know why he says it. My uncle Harry says it's genetic but never goes further."

"Thanks Rose. I do feel kind of better," Scorpius said in a small voice.

"It's a good thing that we have Professor Longbottom here," Albus began an impromptu monologue. "You won't have to worry about any more Howlers coming to you, Scorpius. You're in good hands. And as for any Slytherins who want to voice your father's words, they'll have to answer to us. My mum always said that you should treasure your friends, and I believe her. We're here for you no matter what, Scorp…" Because he was so into his speech of comfort to his friend, Albus failed to notice that Rose and Lorcan were mimicking him and Scorpius was losing a battle with his laughter. "I'll look out for you- HEY I DO NOT LOOK LIKE THAT WHEN I TALK, ROSE!" Well, okay, so he noticed at the end. At that point, all four of them fell over laughing. This earned them a bunch of odd looks from up and down the Gryffindor table.

After breakfast, the four spent the morning outside. While Albus and Scorpius played a game of Exploding Snap in the shade of the Marauder tree, Rose and Lorcan did their homework. After all, it was Sunday and they had classes the next day. It didn't seem that their friends thought the same way, as nothing penetrated their skulls except who was winning the game. By lunch time, two were done with all homework for the beginning of the week and two knew that the score of their game was 436-572.

While on their way into the Great Hall for lunch, a group of Slytherin 4th years stood in their way. "Well if it isn't the little blood traitor and his group of misfits," jibed the biggest of the group. "Care to tell us why you're breaking family tradition, Malfoy?"

Scorpius turned white. "Matilda, please leave me alone. I'm sure it was you who wrote my father about the sorting and I'm not pleased with you." He then turned to his friends. "This is my cousin, Matilda Greengrass."

"Isn't her mother married?" Rose asked, ever the innocent one.

Matilda turned her glare on Rose. "Why do you ask, Weasley? At least my mother is a pureblood. When my mother divorced my father, I took on her maiden name. It appears even half-bloods have the brains of their Mudblood parents," Matilda sneered at Rose, then turned her attention back on her cousin. "And for the record, I told my mother. It was she who happily wrote Uncle Draco about how the family bloodline has been besmirched."

By now all four of the Gryffindor first years were steaming, even calm Lorcan. Albus was ready to throw a punch at the fourth year Slytherin girl. Scorpius sneered back at her, "Don't lie to Rose. Aren't you proud of your lineage from Vincent Crabbe? Even if your parents never married, shouldn't you be proving your pureblooded-ness?" If there was one thing Scorpius had learned from his father, it was how to throw someone's words back into their face.

Just as a fight was about to break between the two groups, Dominique Weasley walked out of the Great Hall, prefect badge gleaming as if she had just shined it. "Rose, Albus, what's going on here? I heard shouting." She then wheeled around to look at her cousins' antagonist. "Matilda, don't you have better things to do than to be intimidating first-year Gryffindors? Five points from Slytherin, for discouraging house unity."

The gang of Slytherins flinched in the light of their loss of house points and walked away. "Now, do you want to tell me why you were almost in a fight with them?" Dominique inquired. "I thought Victoire had done her job as Head Girl and told you the no-fighting rule."

"We didn't try to get into a fight with them. It was just…" Rose answered unwavering until she reached the part about Scorpius's cousin's jibes. She cast a sidelong glance at her friend.

"It's just that my cousin was being a pureblood prat, mad at my insolence of becoming a Gryffindor instead of being a good boy and being sorted into Slytherin. Because I have so much control over the Sorting Hat," Scorpius picked up explaining where Rose had stopped. "You guys go ahead. I'm not hungry anymore. I'll catch up with you in the common room. Homework won't do itself."

Dominique simply said, "Stay out of trouble, you four. Oh, and Scorpius," He turned to face her, worried that the Weasley would say something scathing to him. "Welcome to Gryffindor. I'm glad you don't have to put up with her." Dominique then returned to her friends who were waiting in the hall. Lorcan and Albus scurried into the Great Hall after her, eager to get their hands on something to eat, but Rose stayed behind, facing off to Scorpius.

"You are going to come with me and get some lunch if I have to drag you kicking and screaming. You hardly ate anything for breakfast and you must be starving." Rose told Scorpius, arms folded and meaning every bit of what she said.

"I'm not really hungry anymore, Rose," Scorpius said somberly.

"It's what your cousin said, isn't it? Don't listen to her. I'm glad you're in Gryffindor. I'm sure Lorcan and Albus are too, but they're showing the hunger I know you are hiding." She offered a smile, which was returned by her friend, then held out her hand.

"Fine, I'll come and eat." He then shook her outstretched hand and they walked into the Great Hall, side by side.

**_A.N. Please review! I love hearing your feedback, even if it's just an "I like it!" Thank you for reading and I'm sorry for the time between chapters. I've got a lot of things to do this summer between work, writing, swim team, summer homework, and sleeping. :) Thanks for your patience. I'll try and get another chapter up soon, I'm working on another story now too._**


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